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Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national deported earlier this year, is now back on U.S. soil — but this time, in handcuffs.
Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed that Abrego Garcia, 29, has arrived in the U.S. and is about to confront federal charges for human trafficking and plotting.
Bondi stated, “Abrego Garcia is now in the United States to face the consequences. A grand jury in the Middle District of Tennessee issued a secret indictment accusing him of smuggling migrants and plotting.”
The indictment alleges that Abrego Garcia had a major role in a human trafficking operation that was active for close to ten years. Bondi characterized him as a dedicated trafficker who undertook over 100 journeys, moving women, children, and individuals associated with the MS-13 gang across the country.
“Well, the DOJ made a decision. I think that decisions are very, very good,” said Trump onboard Air Force One later on Friday afternoon. “Yeah, [the] man has a horrible past and I could see a decision being made. Bring him back. Show everybody how horrible this guy is.”
This development comes after controversy erupted in March when Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador, a move many politicians on the left claimed was unjust.Â
“For months the Trump Administration flouted the Supreme Court and our Constitution. Today, they appear to have finally relented to our demands for compliance with court orders and with the due process rights afforded to everyone in the United States,” wrote Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., in a statement.
Van Hollen made the trek to El Salvador to visit Abrego Garcia earlier this year, sparking internet backlash after being photographed with purported margaritas at a restaurant.
“As I have repeatedly said, this is not about the man, it’s about his constitutional rights — and the rights of all. The Administration will now have to make its case in the court of law, as it should have all along,” Van Hollen concluded.
Court filings submitted Friday in the District of Maryland confirm that the government has complied with an April 4 preliminary injunction ordering his return. “Abrego Garcia was returned to the United States today, to stand trial,” federal attorneys wrote in the notice.
But the Trump administration made it clear this was no victory for his defenders.
“The Justice Department’s Grand Jury Indictment against Abrego Garcia proves the unhinged Democrat Party was wrong, and their stenographers in the Fake News Media were once again played like fools,” a Trump administration statement said. “Abrego Garcia was never an innocent ‘Maryland Man’ — he is an illegal alien terrorist, gang member, and human trafficker… Democrat lawmakers like Senator Chris Van Hollen and the so-called ‘journalists’ who defended this criminal must immediately apologize to his victims.”
Abrego Garcia was reportedly sent to the notorious CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador after deportation, despite a 2019 court order temporarily blocking his removal due to claimed fears of persecution.Â
Court records show Abrego Garcia entered the U.S. illegally in 2011 and was ordered deported in 2019. He will be prosecuted and, if convicted, serve his sentence in the U.S. before being returned to El Salvador, officials confirmed.
According to reports from FOX 17, Abrego Garcia will not be arraigned until next week to allow time for court documents to be translated by an interpreter. The hearing is set for June 13 at 10 a.m. CT.
Judge Barbara Holmes ruled to keep Abrego Garcia detained until arraignment as he is deemed a flight risk for his history of violence and ties to criminal groups.Â
He will be in the custody of U.S. Marshals until then. Abrego Garcia is being represented by public defender Will Allensworth.
“Today, the United States of America confronts Kilmar Abrego Garcia with overwhelming evidence — he is being indicted by a grand jury for human smuggling, including children, and conspiracy. Justice awaits this Salvadoran man.”
Fox News’ Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
